The first night my husband came home after three years away, I noticed something strange: he no longer slept on his back. Instead, he wrapped an arm around my waist as if he’d been doing it for years. “Who taught you to hold me like that?” I asked. He sighed and replied, “If you pretend you don’t know, you can keep being my wife.” I didn’t argue. The next day, I called my lawyer because I already had proof of what he had been doing for those three years.

The Vance Global corporate gala was the event Ethan had spent three years working toward.

It was supposed to be the night he was crowned the new Vice President of the international division.

I arrived at the grand ballroom an hour late, wearing a breathtaking crimson gown that commanded the room's attention.

The heavy wooden doors swung open, and all eyes immediately turned toward me.

Across the room, I spotted Ethan holding a champagne flute, his face draining of all color.

Standing right beside him, wearing a white dress that looked suspiciously like a bridal gown, was Chloe.

I held my head high and walked straight down the grand staircase, ignoring their shocked expressions.

Whispers erupted among the wealthy executives and their wives as I confidently made my way to the bar.

Ethan excused himself from his colleagues and marched over to me, his jaw clenched in pure rage.

He grabbed my arm tightly and dragged me toward a secluded alcove behind the ice sculpture.

He hissed in my face, demanding to know what I thought I was doing ruining his most important night.

I smiled sweetly, yanked my arm out of his grasp, and adjusted my diamond earrings.

I told him I was just here to support my loving husband, keeping up the perfect illusion he desperately needed.

Ethan warned me that if I made a scene, he would ensure I walked away from our divorce with absolute zero.

Before I could remind him that he had already stolen everything, a commanding voice interrupted us.

An older, fiercely elegant man in a bespoke tuxedo stepped into the alcove.

It was Julian Vance, the ruthless billionaire CEO of Vance Global and Ethan's ultimate boss.

Ethan immediately stepped back, his entire demeanor shifting into pathetic subservience.

Julian ignored Ethan completely and took my hand, kissing my knuckles with old-world charm.

He looked me in the eyes and said it was a pleasure to finally meet the woman his executive had betrayed.

Ethan choked on his own breath, stammering out a desperate denial.

Julian coldly turned to Ethan and ordered him to go back to the floor and smile for the investors.

Once Ethan scurried away in terror, Julian handed me a sleek black folder.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

He leaned in close to my ear and whispered a secret that made my blood run cold.

Julian revealed that Chloe wasn't actually pregnant, and she wasn't just a simple assistant either.

Chapter 3 - The Gala